Safety and Security

Mesquite ISD Emergency Operations Plan

Mesquite ISD is committed to the safety and security of students, faculty and visitors. Officials of Mesquite ISD, along with public safety officials, have planned collaboratively to develop an emergency operations plan in order to address the four phases of emergency management: (1) mitigation, (2) preparedness, (3) response and (4) recovery. MISD’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is intended to assist campus- and district-level administration with the response to various emergency situations. The EOP is reviewed, updated (per TEC 37.108) and distributed to all campuses, district facilities, police departments and fire departments serving Mesquite Independent School District.

In the event of a lockdown, shelter-in-place or weather emergency, students will not be released to parents until the emergency has passed and student safety is established.

Mesquite ISD has several ways to keep families informed during an emergency:

Mesquite ISD's notification system (Skylert) will be used to deliver emergency notifications to families as quickly as possible. With this system, MISD can send thousands of alerts by phone, email and text in a matter of minutes.

Updates will be posted on the home page of the district website.

Updates will be broadcast on KEOM radio (88.5 FM).

Mesquite ISD will also post notifications and updates on our district Facebook page and Twitter feed. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to receive these updates. These social media links are available on the Mesquite ISD website homepage.

Keep in mind that in the event of a power outage or damage to a district facility, one or more of these communication methods may be impacted, and phones may be down; however, keeping families informed is a top priority, and every effort will be made to ensure information is released as quickly and effectively as possible.

In the Event of Severe Weather ...

When the potential for severe weather is in the forecast, Mesquite ISD has practices and procedures to keep students and staff safe. Students and staff regularly practice emergency drills to ensure they know what to do if a situation arises. Mesquite ISD monitors changing weather conditions and works closely with the City of Mesquite’s Emergency Management Department. All decisions will be made with the advice of emergency management personnel and with the safety interests of students and staff in mind.

Can I pick up my child from school during a weather emergency?

In the event of a severe weather emergency during school hours, students and staff will remain sheltered in place at the campus. Depending on conditions, it is possible that students would not be released to parents. Release of students may also be delayed, depending on weather conditions. Keep in mind that under the most serious conditions, front doors would be locked and staff would be positioned away from windows and doors for safety reasons; therefore, staff would not be available to allow family members to enter the building. Patrons who arrive at a campus seeking shelter would be allowed to enter the building if conditions are safe enough that a staff member is near the front door and able to allow access.

What about students who ride buses?

During a severe weather emergency, students who ride buses will be held at school until conditions are deemed safe for them to leave on their regular bus routes. If an emergency occurs after students have been released from school, and students are on buses, those buses will be directed to the nearest district facility or campus to allow students to shelter at that location until conditions improve. We certainly do not want students to be on the roads during a severe weather emergency.